Void
by OfZamorak
Summary: From the void came creation, and from the void came death.


The Void Awakens

When the world began, it did not just start with a simple egg, as the myths of the land suggest. There was nothing but the void and the egg. Thousands of years passed, the egg did not move at all. The vortex that was the void simply swirled it around in its depths, the void growing ever darker by the day. Finally, a single sound resounded in the void, the first of many. A crackling sound, as the egg broke. Out of the egg rose the most savage and fearsome of creatures, Arceus. Yet, it lacked a form, being born of the same substance that the void was composed of. With a single thought, the egg that once housed the creature became its shape. The moment its eyes opened, the creature was horrified to find nothing but itself in the void. At once, the creature took to work, shaping from the void the only elements it found there.

Time and Space

From the passage of time came a titan known as Dialga, and time began to flow faster in the void. From the space came the leviathan known as Palkia, whose presence began to make space flow as fast as water in a stream. Arceus was pleased with his creations, and took respite briefly. As time and space began to flow and expand, the old chaos of the void took corporeal shape.

The void formed a serpentine creature known as Giratina, whose presence caused the darkness in the universe. Once the chaos took form, Arceus awoke, and sensed the darkness that had invaded the world. The darkness seemed to have no end in sight, and seemingly never stopped its expansion. With reluctant assistance from Palkia and Dialga, Arceus created from the last remnants of the void the Distorted World. Into the void, Giratina crept, and never returned.

The Beginning of Emotion

Because of the great efforts Arceus took, it again took respite in the empty universe. While it dreamed, visions came upon the creature. Visions of worlds distant, of creatures foreign, and of lush mountains and brilliant oceans. From the dreams of creatures came Mew, who became the mother of all things. From the visions of mountains came many worlds, but Arceus was not yet satisfied. And so, it wept, emotion entering the world. The God cried, its tears becoming the water that would sustain life. From the tears, Palkia took on the element of water, and water flooded through space. From the aspect of mountains, the titan took the aspect of metal onto its body. Together, as they wished to please their lord, the pair set to work on a singular planet.

The World Wakes

Palkia created the rivers and oceans that would shape the world, and emotion took residence there. Dialga formed the canyons and mountains of the world, and filled them with great elements. Arceus, whose tears still flowed, was guided to the world by the titan and the leviathan. Arceus was greatly pleased with their efforts, and summoned Mew at once. Mew began to fill the world with a magnitude of creatures, from those who soared in the air to those who swam in the dark depths of the ocean. Palkia disappeared into deep space, and Dialga flowed inbetween time.

Atop a large mountain, Arceus once again slept, this time residing on the world that Dialga and Palkia had shaped. And the creatures teemed across the Earth, interacting and spreading across the world. And yet, the creatures on the planet lacked something. They cried for their creator, who was on the mountain. From their cries, Arceus learned that they lacked companionship. Arceus understood their plight, and with the great emotions' assistance, humans entered the world. Humans and pokemon lived in harmony, but then darkness once again swept over the world. War swept over the land, pokemon and human fighting. Giratina entered the world, Palkia and Dialga appearing once more before their creator. Angry at their creator for exiling their brethren, Palkia and Dialga fought their master with the darkness. The tremendous clash created and shaped the mount that once had peaked into the heavens. In the battle, the Earth itself was shattered to the core. Arceus, great as He was, reformed the Earth, but could not reunite all the pieces of the world. Finally, Dialga and Palkia, sensing they could not defeat Arceus, turned on Giratina, banishing him once again to the distorted void. Arceus fell asleep once more on top of the mountain.

The Beginning of Nightmares

Dialga and Palkia, sensing their master's dissent, fashioned out of the remnants of the Earth the moon. From the energy exerted by the pair came a nightmare upon Arceus, who after many nights of suffering awoke, and cast the nightmare out. The nightmare became Darkrai, who would plague the land with nightmare. From the lakes came the three beings of emotion, who with their great might crafted from the light Cresselia. Cresselia dispelled the nightmares Darkrai caused, and put the dark creature into a deep sleep.

From the Depths to the Plains

Beneath the earth, deep in the magma flowed the energy that Arceus had let off from his triumph over his creations. The energy became liquid metal, which melded into the form of Heatran. Heatran's presence created great volcanoes, which became the continents and many islands of the world. Arceus awoke at once, and was pleased with the new life. From the ashes of land rose flowers, and so Arceus was pleased once more. From the most beautiful of flowers, it created Shaymin, whose presence caused the growth of many lush fields. But, Arceus was not yet fully pleased. It saw the lands from atop its mountain, and saw the lush fields below. With Heatran and Shaymin's help, it created a gigantic creature, to pull the world into a pleasing formation. Once the deed was done, and happy once more, it slept. And it wept in pure happiness in its slumber, of which became Manaphy.

The Beginning of the End

Dawn's fingers thumbed the book, closing the book and setting it aside. With a huff, she looked throughout the dim library, her bag on the table. Looking at her poketch watch, she quickly realized that she had spent more than a few hours doing research on the various legends of Sinnoh. Deep in the library halls, a grandfather clock boomed as the clockhand hit midnight. She sat for a few moments in silence, wondering what to do. She rose quickly, bumping back the table and perturbing the large stack of books she had gathered there. She disappeared into the darkness of the library.

Far away in a distant land, a boy walked through a dim, dark forest. The boy was dressed for the forest, his usual clothes replaced by a thin pair of jeans and a dark jacket. Behind him treaded a Scizor, which brandished its claws as it cut through the brush. The pair continued onwards, the area silent except for the occasional sound of foliage being cut. Occasionally, the boy stopped, looking about to see if they were headed in the right direction. If anyone would spot them, it would be obvious that the duo was searching for something. What it was would be unknown to the observer, but then again they certainly seemed determined to find it.

Before long, the trainer stopped, looking around for the familiar signs of what he had once seen ages ago in the forest. This place looked to be the same that he had once gone through, and he reached through the brush. To his surprise, his hand met water, and he extended his arm further into the coolness. His hand met an object, which he quickly produced out of the water. The ball gleamed, even in the dim forest, the letters GS could still be made out on it. Cautiously, the boy looked about, to the side and behind him. Finding nothing but his Scizor, whose wings filled the clearing with the soft sound of fluttering, he pressed his thumb upon the button.

With a flash of light, and the mysterious sound of drums in the distance, the boy saw a shape form from the light. His eyes narrowed, the shape growing more and more familiar, and suddenly nausea overtook the boy. The ground rushed to meet him, and he slammed into the ground floor of the clearing.

When he awoke, the boy was astonished to not find himself in the darkness of the cool forest, but in a carpeted area. He lied on the floor, wondering where exactly he was. From the corner of his vision, he spotted the sight of his Scizor climbing atop something. Upon closer examination, he realized that it was a bookcase. Again, the thought ran through his head,'Where exactly am I?' He heard the rush of footsteps, but did not stir. His body felt as if it was frozen to the floor. He watched his Scizor tense up, its metal body shifting with it. His wings fluttered and paused, and it leapt into the air, tackling a dark figure rushing by to the floor. Just like that, he felt the hold lift from his body, and he leapt to his feet. His Scizor lied atop someone, that person struggling to reach the poke balls at their waist. At once, he rushed closer, his poke ball already in his hand. His finger hit the button, another flash of light brightening the area, causing him to flinch slightly. Whatever had happened, he felt a little more than uneasy. He stumbled slightly, leaning against another bookcase. He opened his mouth to speak, the shadowy figure on the floor interrupting him. "Who are you?" The boy coughed, spitting up bile.

"I was about to ask the same. My name is Ethan." He wiped away the bile with the back of his hand, before he offered her a hand. Disgusted at the polite gesture, she stood up, swiping some non existent dust off herself, her blue piercing eyes glaring at him.

"What are you doing here? You don't belong here.. Not your clothes, not your face.. Where exactly are you from?" She paused slightly between sentence to sentence, but did not bother to let him speak. Finally, the boy stood, the nausea passing from him. Just as he was about to speak, a voice sounded out in the library.

 _You both have purpose._ Dawn leapt, looking about for the source of the noise. To her surprise, she found none, only spotting Ethan standing across from her. Drifting across their field of vision, a glowing creature appeared. It was almost like a fairy from a storybook, except the primary difference between it and its fictional counterparts was it glowed with a luminescent power. In the darkness, its colour was barely distinguishable, a deep green for most of its body and a dark murky glow around it, especially permeating its eyes. It floated around the pair, the voice again speaking in their head. _I am known to humans as Celebi. And like you, I have purpose._ The pair were stunned to see it, and Ethan looked about, his eyes searching.. Floating behind the pokemon was the GS ball, and he gasped.

"You were.. Inside of that?" Celebi turned to look at him, its eyes following him. _I was, human. Now, let me continue. I have been asleep for a long time, and.._ Yawning, the Celebi stretched out its small limbs, _I have much to say before we start our journey._ Whirling around, Celebi looked at Dawn, jumping slightly as it seemingly looked through her. _Silence, human. We do not have much time. But let us begin at the true.._ In a warp of light and the sound appearance of a magnetic, almost steelish smell, the trio disappeared.

They stood, suspended in what seemed to be water. Far away in the distance, only a dim roundish object stood out amongst the sullen, dark background. Around them, boiling thunderclouds struck out, the lightning coming dangerously close. The pair looked about, finding they were alone. Ethan opened his mouth to speak, finding water rush into his mouth. He felt at his throat, expecting to feel the water rush into his lungs, yet none came. "Where are we..? Where is Celebi?" Dawn turned, shocked his voice sounded so crisp and clear as they were submerged in the water. She opened her mouth to speak, but an explosion rang out, clear as day. The fire from the explosion approached faster and faster, and they heard a distant roar. Just as it was about to reach them, a mass appeared in the space before them, the fires rushing about the pool and into the far distance. Before their eyes, the fire stretched into infinity, and they heard a primordial roar. The massive creature before them shifted and disappeared, and in the distance, they spotted a creature rising from the remnants of the object.

Arceus form glowed, massive in its incorporeal form. He did not seem to take notice of them, instead looking about at the remnants of the thing it had once been inside. Golden energy surrounded the ghostly form of the creature, and the sound of an odd type of dissonance floated towards them. The gold energy dissipated about the creature, its body still forming. Eyes first opened on its head, parts from the egg creating an elongated spire at the type of its head. The creature stared into the glassy void near it, its reflection barely visible to the pair, who remained silent as they watched. They, of course, were in a mixed state of awe, wonder, and bewilderment. The creature seemed to be pleased at how it looked, its body continuing to glow. The pair inside the orb exchanged a glance, a similar thought rushing through their head. What exactly were they witnessing? Finally, the creature's body formed, and sent a searching gaze throughout the universe. The pair froze, certain it would spot them. To their surprise, it looked on, past them and to the far end. To their surprise, Celebi once again appeared, its eyes still glowing now in a familiar sight. _It is time to go. You have seen enough to understand._

And just like that, they returned to the library. Not exactly like that, they both fell to the ground in a wet and sloppy fashion. _That, humans, was the creation of the void known as Arceus._ The creature focused its eyes on Dawn yet again, its voice angrier now as it spoke inside their head. _Yes, I realize you both have names. Or rather, you, Dawn and Ethan. To the two of you, this is our first time meeting. But I have known both of you from birth. Gave you pushes along the way.. The start of your individual journeys. I know your fate. I know the fate of the universe. It shall end, and soon. Unless we act swiftly._ The creature turned from them, floating across the library. And much to the pair's surprise, their legs began to work, and they followed after the pixie.

 _The book.. It only contains some of the truth._ The book that Dawn previously had been reading floated into the air, surrounded by a strange type of energy. _You must have heard it, Dawn.. Ethan.. The music that came with the Creator's birth. The Creator is our mission._ The pair did in fact notice the music, the strange lapse In their minds, they heard the word held with some annuls of respect. _The Creator did give us life. But He is not well. And He is growing worse by the second. It is time for us to visit another.. Truth._ The metallic smell grew, and the two looked alert for a brief second before their disappearance.

This time, they did not appear in the darkness that accompanied their first trip. In fact, they found themselves in a brighter setting, with stars radiating their light all around. The pair looked about the large orb of water that enveloped them. Another difference became rapidly apparent as well, they were not merely standing still in the universe. They were moving quickly, the stars disappearing behind them after mere minutes. And they met the darkness yet again, the void met them. _Arceus._ Celebi's voice resounded through their skulls, though they did not know where the creature was. The orb slowed to a halt, and they saw what Arceus was watching so intently. _Witness the second son of the void._ They squinted, barely making out the figure of a large shadowy creature, even larger than Arceus himself. The darkened lacked a shape, its yellow eyes visible even from the great distance they were away. Arceus screeched at it, the music in the background growing louder as it roared. Yet, the creature did not flinch away, returning the roar with one of its own. As it did, the void began to coalesce on its vague shape.

A thick muscular neck formed, golden arches that almost mimicked Arceus' own forming around its neck. Arceus saw this, and screeched once more. Dawn and Ethan covered their ears simultaneously, the noise far too much. Thousands of thoughts ran across their mind, nearly all of them ones of panic. _I shall not be usurped, this is my world. I created it, from ashes. And no creature shall ever rule this world aside from its creator._ Unlike Celebi's voice, it was not just a singular voice, instead a thousand voices almost speaking in a type of unkempt unison. Arceus' claw glowed, becoming the same colour as the void itself. With a swiftness that the two never had seen, it sliced through the void at the shadowy creature.

The blow easily damaged the creature, no retaliation aside from a twisted sound of pain. At this, the void bubbled for a brief second, before bursting across the universe. Arceus withstood the blow, watching for any sign of Giratina's appearance. It did, its face becoming one of a snarling visage. Its body was unfinished, half of its body cracked and dripping with the shadow that had once made up the void. Arceus lifted its mighty claw once more, energy dripping across space. _This is my world. Begone, void. I am the master of all._ At Arceus' sentence, He delivered his judgment, claw once again reaching for Giratina. A massive explosion, one larger than the creation, seemed to burst the pair's eardrums inside the orb. Blood dripped down their cheeks as Giratina's form disappeared into nothing. Arceus seemed confused for a few seconds, before letting another furious roar out in the silence. Celebi's voice spoke. _There it is, gone for now.. The balance to the mad. Let us be gone from this unholy place._ The two's last view was of two gigantum but somewhat familiar creatures, observing what had just occurred there where the void had once been.

The pair fell into a heap into the library, them blinking almost in unison. Ethan's hand darted to his head, feeling at the blood streaming down from his ears. They quickly untangled from each other, standing up. Ethan's finger touched Dawn's cheek, feeling at the blood there. With a glance about, they realized that they were alone, both of them silently taking a chair. Ethan cleared his throat, looking intently at the table, they did not feel the presence of Celebi,"What do we do..?" A familiar vision filled his head, one of Ho-Oh across the sky, a tower burning as the legend's fiery vengeance did. He had once faced down the legend, and had suffered for it. His fingers idly felt at his knee, where it had been. He closed his eyes, remembering the creature's talons as it pulled him from the ashes of the tower. Fear swam across his body, paralyzing him briefly.

"I don't think we can do this alone.. Even with Celebi's help, I don't think we can." Dawn answered. She too remembered part of her own personal history, when she was on Mt. Coronet.. She struggled to remember the time, flashes of memory assaulting her. "I'm not sure why you.. Why we were picked, but-" She was interrupted, Celebi appearing in a bright flash of light. _There is no time to dawdle. Without both of yours' help, we cannot hope to even come close to challenging Our Lord._

"How is that, what makes us exactly able to even come close to him?" Celebi turned away from them, floating across the library. _You are among the few that can resist His.. Command. You have heard it, haven't you?_ At once, both of their hands went to the dried blood that had once streamed down their cheeks. _Not only did you withstand his command, you heard His voice. But we lack the ability to challenge him currently._ They felt a pang of curiosity from the legend, a vast openness of pure wonder. _If you two may play the flute, we will be able to challenge Arceus in a corporeal form._

Ethan took point, his leg aching as he stood there between Celebi and Dawn. "It is just a flute, how hard could it be to find?" Celebi turned away, a soft probing feeling growing in their skulls.. _I shall show you the nightmare of the flute._

The three now stood high above the world, a mixture of clouds obscuring their location. _Listen closely._ A harmonious flow of music pulled at them, their legs taking steps on their own as they moved closer to the source. A man stood before Arceus, playing a strange instrument, his fingers moving rapidly. A turban was tightly wrapped around his head, his face covered with spittle from playing the strange instrument. Likewise, his body was also wrapped in cloth. From what they could see of his wrinkled face, he appeared ancient. Arceus was in a deep sleep before him, His tightly shut eyes flowing with tears. Yet again, they felt a presence of something press against both of their minds'.

A somewhat familiar voice croaked in their minds. _Hello, Dawn and Ethan. Do not speak, I cannot respond in any tongue._ As he spoke, the music emanating from the instrument seemed to take on a different tone, one of elation. _Part of me wondered if anyone would ever come. Introductions are in order, my friends. I am Dizi, your son, and I have been waiting for many a century._ A flurry of confusion overtook their minds. _I was placed here for a reason, as were you both. Familiarize yourself with your surroundings._ At this, the pair looked around, taking in the landscape. _This is the Hall of Origin, and this is where Arceus will perish, at your hands. And just as I shall. Now, I must stop playing and allow you to witness._

Dizi let the flute down from his lips, placing the flute down on the ground, and kneeling there before it. He removed the turban from his face, tears rolling down his cheeks. He looked back to the pair for just a moment, sparkling blue eyes looking back misty eyed. Dawn reached out to him, Arceus' eyes opening, the tears evident there. Now, they felt the pang of a thousand furious voices inside their skulls, _My dreams shall become reality. You have held me at bay too long, ancient one. No longer you shall imprison me._ The screeching halt of demented music came upon their ears, an orb of water quickly surrounding them now. It seemed to muffle the music, Arceus moving its head down to look Dizi in the eye. _As you have imprisoned me with your vile instrument, you shall become an instrument yourself.._ Dizi reached for his throat, a scream pulling at his face. Darkness enveloped him, Arceus grinning a fierce grin of a mad deity. The shadows appeared about him for just a second, before wafting away. Before them now was an immensely dark creature, barely visible in the light. It turned, looking seemingly through them, the vision of a thousand different dreams swimming across their minds. Dawn screamed, and the scene faded from view.

They reawoke in the library, three creatures with glowing eyes before them. The creatures watched them, unmoving as they levitated still in the air. _I apologize for your son. He was amongst the bravest of your kind. His sacrifice shall not be in vain. He carried with him the wisdom and strength of both of you._ A peaceful, easy feeling took over them, and they felt the mixture of dried blood and dirt at their cheeks disappear. _We wish that you both may find rest, but time it of the essence. We must hurry to acquire the flute once more, and you two must challenge His' and your own creation.._ At this, the vision of the shadowy creature overtook their minds, and they knew his name. Darkrai. All that remained of what apparently was their offspring. _We shall take you there when you are ready._ The two young adults nodded, their unison mirroring that of the trio. An orb of water lifted them into the air.

The orb spat them onto the ground of what appeared to be a small pond in the midst of a clearing, the depths of water not even up to their ankles. Nearly at once, they heard the sound of weeping, and they both squinted to see what was the source of the sound. A pair of blue piercing eyes opened, tears flowing across its form to the ground. At its feet, submerged in the water, was a strange shape. Darkrai looked up suddenly, and stared at them, its eyes piercing their souls. At once, dreams began to flow across their vision. Dawn and Ethan's fingers touched, their eyes closed as their mind withstood the torrent of dreams.

Fields of clover and grass sprung beneath their feet, two legs working as something pursued. Laughing sounding out, like the tinkling of chimes in the breeze. The dream forced their vision back, seeing a tall man in pursuit. His limp was slight, but it was evident to both who it really was. Ethan, older still, raced after the figure, easily overtaking him and picking him up. "Dizi, don't go too far. There's pokemon out there." Something in his voice suggested caution.

Another scene appeared, apparent that it was Dizi's dream once again. He was lying in bed, covers wrapped over him, a small object clutched in his hands. He pushed it towards a sharp blue-eyed woman, and spoke. "Please, mom, play it again." She took the small flute from him, beginning to play a familiar song. A harmonious familiar melody flowed from the instrument, her continuing to play for several minutes as Dizi eventually faded to sleep.

A burning floor appeared before. A shadow brushed against the tower, before overtaking it. A steady stream of fire burned through the tower, and the figure leapt back. Sweat dripped down his face as he ran, running anywhere. The tower shuddered as something landed atop of it, the sound of crashing floors becoming louder and louder. Ethan managed to leap out of the way of some falling debris, but more came falling down. A scream escaped his throat as his leg was caught underneath a beam. Immense pain filled the dream, and the tower shuddered as it began to collapse. The vision cut off momentarily, switching to a different view of an ash filled sky. Talons clutched him, large wings beating above him. They fanned the burning remnants of the tower, before setting him down in the ashes. A delirious feeling followed, along with the single thought. _This is how I die, isn't it?_ His somehow undamaged eyes scanned his charred body, and he looked up to see Ho-Oh standing above him, its great legs shifting the ashes with every movement. Ho-oh opened its massive beak, and flames jet out from the depths of its throat. He screamed, the flames wrapping around his burnt body. Again, the scene changed, hands clawing at dirt, pulling, grasping at whatever lies ahead just to move. Red and blue flashing filled the vision, and it ended there.

"Are you ever going to battle again..?" The setting had once again changed, white linens covering his body. Sullen eyes shifted to the visitor, and shifted back to the window.

"My pokemon are dead, mom. Their poke balls were destroyed in the tower, when it collapsed." A feeling slowly felt its way across his mind. "The doctors say I shouldn't be alive. But they don't believe me why I am." The woman in his field of view looked uneasy at this, shifting around.

"Enough of that. My boy was just extremely lucky. How is your leg feeling?" Sullen eyes met the woman's, and she gasped. Fiery determination gripped his eyes, becoming steely at the sight of her. With a huff, she stormed out of the room, slamming the hospital door behind herself.

Dawn's hands gripped a cliff, climbing higher and higher. She was wrapped tightly in a coat, a scarf wrapped around her face. Her bag weighed heavily on her shoulder, and she held an ice pick in one hand. Climbing gear covered her body, and she hung onto the icy slope, her entire body grasping for dominance of nature. She raised the pick, slamming it higher. Lifting herself higher, she looked for any handholds in the smooth surface. She spotted one, angling her body against the cliff face for just a second, before she leapt for it. Her hand barely caught it, her free hand dangling. She looked down, before looking back up as she cursed her fear of heights.

With her last amount of strength, she lifted herself, her other arm arching the pick high into the cliff. Luckily, it sunk in deep into the snow atop the cliff, and she pulled herself over. Lying there, huffing as she did, she looked about. Pillars surrounded her, and she rose to her feet. Digging through her bag, she realized that she had arrived long before Team Plasma had. Quickly, she knelt, shifting the bag around to her front. She dug through it, lifting an object from it. It glowed ominously, the pink orb almost spherical in nature. A translucent orb flashed into existence before her, and she shut her eyes briefly, an afterimage burned in her retinas. When she looked back, a massive Behemoth stood before her. Palkia, guardian of space, its large pink body. She stood her ground before it, and she remembered the advice her grandma had once given her. _Stand your ground before any pokemon, and your bond will transcend all of existence._ Palkia's massive arms touched the ground in front of her, him sinking down to all fours. It saw the determination in her eyes, and roared, but she did not flinch. She stood her ground for a second, hearing the rush of feet behind her. She turned, the flash of Team Plasma uniforms before her. She saw a dark shadow cover her own, and she glanced back, Palkia's large bulk standing above her. And she felt unstoppable.

Familiar, worn hands reached for handholds on a spring, fresh mountain. Dizi climbed without a harness, no climbing gear on as his hands easily scaled the mountain. Familiar dissonance music flowed from the peak, and he rushed his efforts. Blood dripped from his ears, flowing around wax earplugs. He threw himself over the side, looking out from the cliff across the land. Despite the rising sun in the distance, there was no light. Cracks ran across the land, and music seemed to flow from every slight. Dark clouds rumbled with electricity, and his hands met the flute in his bag, feeling at its shape. _I was told the time would come, but.. So soon._

A different vision took its place, thoughts running across their shared conscious. _How long will I be like this?_ Hands worked at a device, harmonious music drifting. The person's eyes were closed, and panic rippled in their soul. _What if they never come? They told me how it happens, just a simple visit out of the blue.. They just appear, don't they?_ The thoughts drifted on and on along the same line for what felt like years, yet time still passed. But, their hands and lips never stopped working along the instrument, smooth music emanating from it. _I miss them so much._ At this thought, they felt tears drip down their cheeks. Yet, they did not stop playing in their combined sorrow, simply improvising lower and occasionally higher notes into the song.

Dawn's hands plunged into the water, pulling from it the flute. Her eyes closed, she lifted it to her lips and began to play it, her hands working as Dizi's once had. It was a struggle to even block out the dreams, but her fingers worked across it. Music flowed from it, a familiar lullaby sounding out. Ethan was nearby, writhing in the water, his clothes becoming drenched as he splashed about. His movements came to a close, as the visions faded from their minds. The shadowy creature let out a sigh, finally floating closer to the pond. Its eyes closed, and it began to sleep. Dawn sighed with the creature, finally turning to look at Ethan. He too seemed to be in a peaceful sleep, and Dawn wondered for a moment if he was dreaming peacefully. With a flash of light, they disappeared.

Again, Celebi was absent in the library, the three Emotions residing there. _So you have the flute. And you somehow subdued him..?_ A note of pity resounded from their minds. Dawn lifted the flute, examining its strange shape. She swallowed a lump in her throat, thinking back to the memories they had endured. She looked to Ethan's unmoving shape on the floor. _He will come to in a few minutes, he is merely.. Reliving some painful memories._ Sympathy echoed throughout her. She had felt the burning feeling, and now some strange phantom pain in her knee.

Celebi appeared just as Ethan awoke, the small faerie looking oddly confused and shaken by some ordeal. _You all must hurry. The time is approaching, and we shall have only one chance to affect the rest of histo-._ Now the three spoke, interrupting Celebi. _Something seems to be slightly off about you.. We fear you not have long for this world._ Celebi shuddered, and Dawn saw for the first time in her eyes a look of fear. Celebi's voice entered their minds yet again, Ethan stirring slightly as his eyes opened. "Arceus caught you while you went through time, didn't he?" Celebi turned to show grotesque scars along its back, blackness dripping from her wounds. _They are right, I have not long for this world. Your mind, Ethan, you have the gift. It will prove most valuable._ Ethan gathered himself from the floor, standing as he brushed himself off. Dawn realized that she did not even see his lips move when he spoke. Celebi spoke yet again in their minds. _So it is true.. It is all coming true. The world will.._ A quick flash of pure black appeared in the library, a shadowy claw drifting in through to grab ahold of Celebi. _Flee. Arceus has found us._ Her words remained in their minds for just milliseconds just before the three Emotions, Dawn, and Ethan all disappeared in an orb of water.

Dawn and Ethan suddenly felt immensely dwarfed by the size of their stood in a large grassy, yet familiar plane, where wind seemed to blow for miles around. In the distance, a massive river flowed, a mountain's sharp peak biting into the sky. The orb of water seemed to have to dissipated as fast as it had appeared, the waters rapidly sinking into the plains beneath their feet. With a flash of what appeared to be deep space, a creature leapt out. Dawn gasped and sunk to one knee, loyalty running through her. In her mind, an echoing voice spoke. _Rise, human. It is time for us to become one yet again. You have stopped the world from ending before, but now the risk is much, much higher. If we fail, Arceus shall not only corrupt this universe, but me and Dialga..\_ The creature paused, noting their confusion briefly. _Dialga as well. Giratina will be the only one who may stand in His path then, and we cannot be certain if even He will succeed._ The two were stuck in awe and wonder at the legend's appearance, its booming voice echoing throughout their mind. _The one question yet unanswered is if you shall enter battle with Him. One of you playing the flute to weaken him._ Palkia's large red eyes darted to Dawn, and then to Ethan. _And the other to fight. Danger will be sure to follow. And aside from that, I can feel your fear human._ Palkia knelt on all fours, almost touching Ethan. _You are afraid to battle, even with just your pokemon. But do not fear, I shall be at your side. Arceus has a certain.. Presence to him that paralyzes us, but me and Aetas believe that in His Presence, the Flute will allow us to act. And with your skill, human, we shall succeed._ Dawn looked over to Ethan, searching his face quickly. He himself seemed to be paralyzed, sweat dripping down his face.

A masculine voice spoke in their heads, one Dawn quickly recognized as Ethan's own. _We shall see._ At this, he turned, watching in the distance as Dialga rose from the mountain. Even at the great distance, Dialga's tremendous bulk was evident. The creature's steely body seemed to glow in the somewhat artificial light. The creature seemed to stretch for a moment, and they heard a faint voice in their heads, _Indeed, human. We shall see._ And in a moment when time felt as if it stood still, Dialga appeared before them, eying the two of them with somewhat mild desperation in its eyes. _We shall see._

Palkia's voice echoed through their minds now, Dialga's voice soon molding into the fold. _Humans, we must awaken Giratina. We shall require his assistance to banish Arceus from this world. However, we cannot do it here. We must go to where Arceus rests, the Spear Tower - The point where our Lord Giratina was banished from this world._ _We have tarried too long, in our fear and our own dreams a savior would rise. We must become our own saviors now, for we are out of time, and we must go._ With a flash of deep time, space, and fear in their eyes and mind, they all vanished, the nearly empty dimension disappearing in an influx of darkness.

There they stood before Arceus, its bulk a mountain to a hill in comparison to them. The landscape around them was darkened, they had spent long in the library and inbetween time, but they did not realise that a seeming dark had overtaken the land. Clouds brewed overhead, dark lightning in their midst. The sun seemed to have disappeared from the sky, blotted out. Dawn and Ethan swallowed lumps in their throats. Dialga and Palkia stood behind them, as if for want of protection. _Quickly, before His mind takes hold._ Dawn's hand dove into her bag, Arceus' eyes still shut as it dreamt onwards. She produced the Azure Flute, lifting it to the air just as Arceus' eyes snapped open. Slit-like eyes narrowed at her, music starting to dance throughout the air. But it was not of the flute, the demented music twisting through the air. A voice entered her mind, one of calmness and pure serenity. _Play the flute, Dawn._ Her eyes darted to Ethan's form, whose face was torn. Sweat dripped from his brow, and his hand was halfway to his waist, where Scizor's sport ball hung. In a flicker of movement, she began to play the flute, Arceus letting go of its attempted hold on the group. She entered the song as an experienced musician, playing with ease. Arceus lifted a claw in the air, clearly intending to grab ahold of her.

A flash of red appeared, following a flash of blue. Darting across the peak of the mountain quickly, Scizor drug its claws across the surface of Arceus' arm. A demented laugh drifted in the air, adding a few notes to the music. _No mortal can dare to touch.._ Blood dripped across its body, Scizor already turned for more action. Arceus screeched, a primordial and physical blow to their ears. Scizor went in for another blow, Arceus catching the bug with a movement. A roar sounded behind them, and the whole mountaintop shook as Palkia sprinted, letting its shoulder down as it slammed into Arceus. At once, Arceus let go of Scizor, instead choosing to grapple with the creature atop Him. All the while, peaceful music flowed from the flute, Dawn's fingers working. Ethan and Dialga remained paralyzed, Dawn's eyes moving across his figure. His muscles twitched, he was close to being able to move again.

Palkia went in for Arceus' neck, Dawn's eyes widening as she watched the fight go on before her. Despite their size and antiquity, they fought as little more than wild pokemon did. Arceus blocked the blow, a flash of energy pushing away Palkia. It sounded as if scream of discord, Dawn thought. Arceus took no time to rise to His feet, raising its head. A flash of energy darted for Palkia, the creature disappearing into a starry sky. Arceus briefly looked confused, before standing. Scizor moved across its figure, Arceus writhing in pain as its claws worked across its body. Slashes and swatches of blood were left in Scizor's wake, Arceus ignoring the pain to gaze at Dawn intently. Scizor was slammed into the ground by a mysterious force, Arceus' speed blinding as it went for Dawn, appearing before her. She gasped, her lips parted from the mouthpiece for a second. At that moment, from the corner of her vision, she saw another vision of deep space, suspended in the air. Arceus reached for her, His razorsharp claws clear in their attempt to maim. Palkia landed atop on Arceus, and again, in a display of extreme speed and grace, Palkia was on the floor, Arceus claws gripping his thick neck. Thin streaks of blood dripped from Palkia's neck, and a desperate call of the Time titan rang out in their minds. _Help me, my brother!_ Dialga did not stir, its entire body shuddering. A shadowy tendril breached existence, grasping ahold of Arceus' midsection.

The tendril pulled Arceus, who writhed in great pain, to the gap in space and time. Dawn almost fell to her knees, tears beginning to drip down her cheeks for some unknown reason. Her eyes looked to the Azure Flute, and it became apparent whose its creator was. Serene calmness radiated from Giratina's appearance, a shadowy claw slashing across Arceus' head. The wound dripped black ooze, bleeding thick droplets of altered and strange blood. Arceus freed Himself quickly from the tendrils.

Palkia rose quickly, his eyes wide with fright at the sight of Giratina circling the heavily-wounded Arceus. Arceus' voice spoke, _You may all believe you possess the upper hand, but you do not. The wounds inflicted upon me do not even pain so long. Observe, the gift you all lack, that of creation._ Arceus' various wounds resealed, the flesh there new and without blemish. _You shall never defeat me._ It was at this point Dawn noticed Ethan finally moving, advancing in position towards Arceus.

 _So it may be, creation does have its limits. You cannot control me, however._ Ethan's voice was calm, one she matched with Dizi. With an unspoken gesture, and a wave of his hand, Giratina and Palkia both sped towards Arceus. In more blinding flashes of white light that surely was His body, Arceus cast them away. A voice spoke in Dawn's head, a culmination of voices. _We cannot do this forever. He is.. Strong. If only we had more time. More space to figure it out. But, maybe we do._ Dialga finally broke free, rushing towards Arceus as well. Giratina's tendrils grasped Arceus, binding him for a moment. With an Earth-shattering blow, Dialga slammed its head against Arceus' own. With a surge of sudden energy, pressured water bruised Arceus' side. Dawn felt a certain sadness from the direction of Ethan, a wave of sorrow. She realised not why he felt that way, but he cast her a glance.

 _We may not defeat you.. But, there is always traps._ Arceus roared, the demented music growing louder. In all His pain, Arceus writhed and screamed. He did not notice as Giratina began to drag him into the Altered World, the remnants of the void. And, as Giratina did, as Dialga and Palkia followed. Dawn stopped her flute playing, fear playing across her face. How had Ethan devised this.. Plan? Still, the tune continued, one she recognized the three legends humming. The strange music from the trio weakened Arceus far more than her song ever did.

Ethan watched, the darkness of the void becoming apparent as it closed. Whoever ventured there would meet a sure demise, but at least, it was all contained. He sent a single thought into the void, and turned, looking across the land. The sun had just began to shine again, the world was alright. A thought overtook him, Arceus had spoke of creation, but its very nature was.. Self-preservation. Did He want the void to reclaim Earth, to avoid meeting with him and Dawn? He dismissed the thought, turning to Dawn, watching her and the flute. His thought turned to Dizi, and anger welled inside him. Sensing his discomfort, Dawn's body shivered for a second. "Do not worry, I read it at the library. There was nothing but the void and the egg. And now, they are back together again in the void.." She stared into the space where Giratina had dragged off Arceus, pondering briefly.

"Nobody shall ever see them again." A hand met his shoulder, Dawn's fingers gentle.

"They are lost, and.. They'll never see their creation again." Dawn spoke, tears beginning to flow across her cheeks. "But, they have left it all for us. They did it for love of us."


End file.
